European journal of pain : EJP
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After whiplash injury, some patients develop chronic whiplash-associated disorders. The exact pathophysiology of this chronification is still unclear and more knowledge is needed regarding the different post-injury phases. Therefore, studies were searched that examined temporal changes in pain processing, measured by Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST). ⋯ Altered pain processing is present soon after whiplash injury, but usually recovers within 3 months. Non-recovering patients show little to no improvements in the following years. Differences between recovering and non-recovering patients can be observed by Quantitative Sensory Testing already in the acute phase. Therefore, it is considered a feasible and effective tool that can contribute to the identification of high-risk patients and the prevention of chronification.
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Case Reports
Mirror therapy for phantom limb pain in moderate intellectual disability. A case report.
Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a common problem after limb amputation. There is mounting evidence supporting the use of mirror therapy (MT) in the treatment of individuals with PLP. However, there is no research studying the effects of MT on PLP in individuals with intellectual developmental disorders (IDD). The aim of this study was to increase our understanding of MT when used with adults with IDD and PLP through a case study approach. ⋯ This is a case-report that illustrates how mirror therapy can be applied to people with intellectual developmental disorders and phantom limb pain. The results showed that phantom limb pain decreased after the mirror therapy, with a raw change of 3,92 points and a percent change of 48%.
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Women with Vulvodynia experience pain, related impacts on sex and daily functioning, and depression. While psychosocial factors are associated with outcomes in Vulvodynia, longitudinal data are limited, especially in mixed/spontaneous Vulvodynia. Broad psychological models such as psychological flexibility (PF) and content-specific factors, such as body-exposure anxiety (BEA) and avoidance during sexual activities and perceived injustice, have not been adequately investigated in Vulvodynia. The aim of this study was to explore whether these factors assessed at baseline predict pain severity, pain interference, sexual functioning and satisfaction and depression 3 months later. ⋯ This longitudinal study explored the role of PF, perceived injustice and body image during sexual activities in predicting pain severity, pain interference, sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction and depression in women with Vulvodynia. The study findings reveal that two facets of PF (committed action and pain acceptance) predicted pain interference and depression over time. It may be important to incorporate these processes in treatments developed for Vulvodynia.
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The mechanisms underlying chronic phantom limb pain (PLP) are complex and insufficiently understood. Altered sensory thresholds are often associated with chronic pain but quantitative sensory testing (QST) in PLP has so far been inconclusive due to large methodological variation between studies and small sample sizes. ⋯ Phantom limb pain (PLP) is still poorly understood. We show that PLP intensity is associated with lower heat pain thresholds, especially in the face. This finding could be related to central nervous changes in PLP.
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Motor performance during childhood and adolescence is recognized as a relevant determinant of present and future health, but its effects on back pain (BP) remain unclear. In this systematic review, we aimed to identify the association between motor performance and BP in children and adolescents. ⋯ This systematic review shows that motor performance (flexibility, muscle endurance, muscle strength, aerobic capacity, balance and speed) was not associated with BP in children and adolescents. Most of the results were inconsistent because of the lack of studies, risk of bias and low quality of evidence. Only trunk extensor muscle endurance was associated with decreased BP with moderate quality of supporting evidence.